How May I Love You?
by Porsche101
Summary: When the team realizes that Skipper has feelings for Marlene that goes beyond friendship, they help them both realize it.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note:_

_More Skilene for all of you fans out there! R&R, because that's what the review button is for! Have any ideas or errors to point out for me? That's fine! I would love to hear them._

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"And… hook kick, axe kick, high block, low block, double knife hand block and punch," Skipper muttered the team's daily Taekwondo training exercises. He stood in the front of the group and performed them while Kowalski, Private and Rico succeeded to mirror him perfectly, if not a millisecond off. He was just about to go into karate when someone interrupted him.

"Hey, guys!" Marlene exclaimed a greeting from the right of the penguin's formation. She rolled her eyes as they turned to face her, trying to threaten her with their regular fighting pose.

Skipper's shoulders sagged at her appearance. It was obvious that she had long gotten used to their near attacks on her. "Marlene!" He waddled up to her to face her. "You know better than to intrude on us when we're in training."

"It's not my fault you guys are so deeply embedded in your little games to notice me coming."

Skipper leaned back in surprise, his eyes wide. He scoffed at her unintelligence when it came to the arts of combat. "Games?"

"Yes, games, Skipper," she repeated with a smirk, knowing it was annoying him.

He chuckled airily. "To your mind, maybe." He gave a harmless roll of his eyes. They continued to stare at each other through half-lidded eyes as if they were in a staring contest.

"Um, Skipper? Is this going to be long?" Private asked with an antsy hint in his voice.

Skipper shook his head to clear it and turned to address the young private. "Got a date, Private?"

"No, sir… it's just that… I have a show to catch at twelve," he whispered quickly, afraid of his leader's reaction.

"A show? One of your little soap operas?" He quirked a curious eyebrow at him.

"Yes, sir." Private straightened up, no longer worried about Skipper's reaction.

"Ooh, I've been meaning to catch that one! I wonder if Steve is going to go through with his breakup plan with Mandy," Kowalski sided with Private excitedly. Rico grinned with his tongue hanging out in agreement with the two, along with a nod of his head.

Skipper sighed and palmed his face. "You guys are a bunch of pansies!" He eyed the men's fallen expressions. "Oh… just shut up and go watch that show! You guys have earned it." Marlene's chuckle from beside him made him jump.

"It's good to see you're not all shell, Skippy." Marlene touched his back in approval, making Skipper blush underneath his feathers and give her a soft look of admiration.

"Yep, he's hard and crispy on the outside but with a soft inside that's good with the jam!" Private exclaimed, his head poking up out of the HQ's entrance.

_"Go!" _Skipper shouted at him, but still managed to get the young penguin to chuckle, his laughter echoing off the walls of the HQ as he descended down the ladder.

"'That's good with the jam'?" Marlene asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, I don't know. The kid's British!" He shrugged.

"Well, at least there's never a dull moment." Marlene pointed out as they walked toward the secret entrance with a rather slow rate of pace.

"That's for sure. Especially with that lemur around." Skipper motioned to Julien's habitat where he was bouncing up and down on his Bouncy Bounce, his music echoing across the zoo.

"Hello neighbors," he disappeared behind the brick wall as gravity took hold before rocketing back up to continue what he had to say, "having a good day, yes? It's a perfect day to worship me!"

Skipper rolled his eyes. "I never started worshiping you!" he called, but Julien had already fallen back onto the giant air palace. "Ah well, it's better to not waste my breath trying to explain it to him."

"Yeah, just leave him to his fantasies." They each lowered themselves onto the trusty ladder before averting their eyes to the TV where the three penguins sat, accompanied with two boxes of tissues along with the used ones scattered around them.

_"Oh, Mandy, I wish there was an easier way to say this but… we just can't go on," _the voice filtered through the air from the Toshiba TV.

_"Oh, Steve, why? Was it something I did? I can change, Steve!"_

"Mandy, no! Don't go petty! Stay strong and independent!" Kowalski exclaimed to the TV.

"He doesn't deserve you, Mandy! Just let it go!" Private sobbed to the monitor.

"Well, now isn't that just sad," Skipper muttered with a shake of his head.

"I know. Three penguins that are being trained in every combat form possible are crying over a soap opera," Marlene said with her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Oh, no, not them. They do this every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I'm talking about how Steve could treat Mandy like that! Hasn't he learned anything?!" He looked over at Marlene to see her gawking at him in shock, like he had said that he didn't care about military arts at all. "What?"

"Never mind." She rolled her eyes at the ceiling. How could a military commander be such a… softy when it came to TV Shows?

"No, really, why were you looking at me like that?" he pressed her, his flippers crossed over his chest.

"Just never your little flightless mind, Skippy," she teased him with a pat on the side of the head. Her eyes widened slightly at his texture. He was so… sleek. How could penguin feathers be so pleasant to the touch?

He smirked and reached up to grasp her arm gently, cradling her paw in his flipper. "Who says penguins can't fly?" he asked her, his voice velvety smooth, the opposite of his usual harsh sound. His smile grew wider as a soft grin grew on Marlene's lips.

Suddenly he realized that the room had gone silent. He turned around to see his men staring at them, the TV blank to show the soap opera had ended, their reflection staring at them as well as Kowalski, Private and Rico. The reflection did show them a little too close for comfort, especially when it came to young Private. "Take a picture, boys. It'll last longer."

He let go of her arm and walked to the kitchen area to get a drink of water, or to serve as a distraction so the tension in the atmosphere wouldn't get any worse.

"Well, I guess I'll get going, guys," Marlene bid them farewell before turning toward the ladder and heading up, silently agreeing with Skipper about his unsaid complaint about the tension in the area.

As Skipper watched her leave, a weird feeling suddenly overtook him. What was that emotion called? It created a sensation in the pit of his stomach and it made him… long for something. He frowned at his confusion. He'd never really experienced it before so it was totally new to him. After ten more seconds of pondering, he decided to blow it off and perhaps ask Kowalski for options about it tomorrow, unless of course he figured it out during the night, of which he highly doubted.

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_Author's Note:_

_You'll have to forgive me about the ending to this chapter, for it's not the best. Be nice and helpful and review! It gives me fuel… literally! Reviews help my finger find their way to the keyboard. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note:_

_This was meant to be up on June 13__th__ but stupid Document Manager was being a butthead. Sorry for the wait! XP_

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Private stared at Skipper from across the HQ, nervously wringing his flippers together. Ever since he noticed how Skipper and Marlene were acting around each other, he couldn't help but wonder about the two.

He sees the way he looks at Marlene and the way she looks at him. It's like they're communicating secretly without anyone knowing. And it all started when they first met the otter. Of course, that was when they ended up spending a night in her habitat investigating a scary noise.

It turned out it was coming from the sewer and the pair ended up getting stuck down there together, making him ponder the most obvious and unanswered questions: What really happened down there? What actions did they take and what did they say to each other during the incident?

There just had to be more to the story than what Skipper was telling them.

"Hey, Private!" Skipper called to him from across the room, jerking him out of his thoughts. But to Private, it seemed like the leader had tossed a bucket of ice cold water on him.

"Y-yes, Skipper?" he replied shakily, not knowing what to expect.

"You look a little fidgety, there. You missing one of your little soap opera shows?" Skipper smirked at him.

Private then couldn't help but to mentally check the schedule for his show and but failed to come across any programs that day. "No, Skipper. There isn't anything playing today. My mind was just wondering."

"Oh? Don't wonder too much or you'll get lost," Skipper joked with him. "What are you thinking about exactly?" He got up and made his way to the young penguin. He knew when something was on his mind, whether or not he told him, and by the looks of his appearance it wasn't a very comfortable topic. "Well, spit it out, soldier!"

Private swallowed. _Oh butterscotch. _"It's… uh, about… Marlene." He watched as Skipper's eyes widened comically, his body moving so he could back away from him, showing that he was obviously flustered by his mentioning of her.

"What about the lower mammal? What does an otter have anything to do with us?" he asked, trying to cover up his awkwardness when it came to the female next door.

"Um, do you remember the time when the both of you ended up in the sewer? When we were investigating the 'scary noise' in Marlene's habitat?"

Skipper eyed the young private before letting out a soft sigh. "You think something else happened down there… don't you?"

"Well, by the way you two act around each other… I would say, more than likely." He threw his flippers over his head, awaiting the expected blow or slap from the leader. He peered up at him when the strike didn't come, seeing the annoyed look on his face.

"Kowalski asked me about it the other day. It's starting to get old," he explained before jumping into it. "First of all, I nearly drowned down there. If it weren't for Marlene I wouldn't be here. And second of all, I had never been so scared in my life." Skipper gave Private a weird look as he gasped, his eyes wide with shock.

Did he really just say that? His leader… his usually fearless leader just said that he was scared of a little sewer mishap. "I didn't even think that was possible, Skipper."

"Well, you had better believe it, kid. I wasn't so much as scared for myself, I was frightened for Marlene. I knew that I could handle whatever was down there but… she couldn't. She hadn't acquired any training or anything! I was worried for her, for she could have been killed that night if it was something worse than it had turned out to be." Skipper's eyes averted themselves down to the floor, still feeling her paws wrapped around him and on his chest as she hugged him for protection.

"Wow… you really do love her, don't you sir?" Private asked, not knowing how bad Skipper would react to the word 'love'. After all, it was just a word, right?

His eyes snapped back up to meet Private's light blue ones, which were filled of innocence and obliviousness to what he had just said. What on Earth did he mean about that? That was just crossing the line! Sure, he had uncovered some weird feelings down there in Rat Town but there is no way those emotions could be what Private had implied. Could they? "Private… that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my entire life!"

He looked down sadly, taking in Skipper's scolding. He knew he shouldn't have brought it up because now his leader was angry with him. Curse his curious little mind! "But… but sir…"

"I do not want to hear any more on this, young soldier. It's not a good thing to go poking your beak into other people's business," he snapped at him with a jab to his chest.

Private watched as Skipper whirled around to go up the ladder onto the makeshift floe without so much as a backwards glance.

He was about to go weep in the corner about his dreaded mistake but a flipper around his shoulder stopped him. He jumped and turned around to see Kowalski standing next to him with an understanding look on his face.

"Don't worry Private, it's not your fault that Skipper is in denial," the intellectual penguin comforted him.

"D-denial?" he asked with uncertainty.

He looked down at Private and smiled at him. "Yes, denial is when you say something isn't true, even though deep inside you know it's every bit of the truth." Kowalski shrugged casually. "It usually happens when one has feelings for another. When someone points out their feelings, they deny it because they just can't grasp the concept. This is much like Skipper's dilemma."

Private furrowed his brow together in confusion. "But why would Skipper be in denial?"

"Because he just can't bring himself to accept that he really does care about Marlene more than he's letting on. I believe they are both in defiance if I do say so myself." He began to waddle away, knowing that he had said too much for Private's mind to comprehend.

Private watched as the tallest of the four penguins toddled away from him. Well then, if they were both in denial, he was just going to have to get them out of it.

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_Author's Note:_

_Dun, dun, dun. Little Private is up to something! Lol. Hope you enjoyed this chappy! I wrote it at family reunion in a notebook today so it's not really long… and i have to say that i'm not really feeling it... Don't forget to review before you exit! _


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note:_

_Here is the third chapter! Enjoy everyone, even though it's kinda short! _

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_"It's that simple! Just three weeks on the amazing Acu Hoop and you will have an attractive, flat and sexy stomach," _the TV blurted out from behind Private.

The little penguin was trying to do his best to sneak out of the HQ unnoticed by Rico and Kowalski since Skipper was off by himself doing recon. He had to talk to Marlene.

A few days had past since his little scene with Skipper and he couldn't just sit there and not think about it. He needed answers and the only female he knew in the zoo was Marlene. Maybe she could explain Skipper's denial and the way he acts around her.

After all, he heard from the TV and his partners that females were the experts when it came to romance and all of the… _gushiness_ when it came to liking somebody.

He wasn't quite sure what love was himself, or what it looked like for that matter. That's part of the reason why he was going to Marlene's. The second part of it was for Skipper's sake.

If he could get just enough information about the weird and confusing emotion that goes by the name of 'love', then he could figure it out and try to help Skipper and Marlene himself! It's that easy, right?

Unfortunately, as soon as his flipper touched the first bar of the ladder, a voice sounded from behind him that definitely didn't belong to the telly.

"Hey, Private, where are you running off to?" Kowalski asked Private as he stared at his back, trying his best to sense what the young one must have been feeling when he called him.

Private turned around to face him. "I'm not going anywhere special. I was just off to Marlene's." It didn't matter if they knew where he was going.

Kowalski gave him a cautious look. He knew all about Skipper's deal with Marlene. He wasn't blind! It was so obvious that a bat could see what was going on between Skipper and Marlene. He was just hoping and praying that little Private wasn't going over there because of the odd chemistry between the two. He would ruin everything! "Why Marlene's?"

He shrugged in his cute innocent way."No reason in particular. I was just wondering about Skip-"

"Oh, no! No, no, no, no!" Kowalski exclaimed as he hopped up from his sitting position. He turned around and motioned for Rico to follow, for Private was backing away up against the wall. Kowalski was going to need all the help he could get. "No, you can't do that!" Rico shook his head vigorously in agreement.

"Well, why not?" Private shot them both a weird look. What was up with those two?

Kowalski sighed. He hoped this topic wouldn't have come up until he was older. They let poor little Private know too much too early. They really should knuckle down on that boy. "Private, come sit down with us. We need to talk about this."

***

Skipper sighed as he hoped up onto the floe out of the water. He shook his body to get rid of the additional water that still clung to him. After he smoothed down his feathers he made his way to the food bowl to enter the HQ.

He hoped there wasn't a kid movie on the television that Private was watching. He had been hoping to catch one of his own shows. He's been long fed up with _Bambi, Beauty and the Beast _and whatever film that kid makes him watch.

As he lowered himself onto the ladder he could hear Kowalski discussing something. Skipper smirked at the possibilities. He could be talking about the next lunar eclipse or Einstein's formula or….

Skipper frowned as he heard Marlene's name come out of the taller penguin's mouth. He was pretty sure she didn't have anything to do with the sun and the moon or Einstein.

He ducked into the shadows so he wouldn't be noticed by the three. What on Earth were they talking about?

"I know that they both should come to their senses and just admit it! You would think that the way he is he would have burst by now," Kowalski muttered.

"I don't know, Kowalski. He is pretty stubborn. He doesn't like other's to think that he's weak."

Skipper frowned deeper. Were they talking about him? What did they mean by 'coming to their senses'? Who is 'they'?

"You should see the way she looks at him when his back is turned. But he's too much of a 'king' to notice. He keeps his eyes on what he thinks he should. He does not have time for romance."

Skipper's eyes widened. A _king_? That doesn't have time for romance? Was it… Julien that they were talking about? Strangely, his heart began to sink in his chest. That was the same feeling that he had felt back at his and Lola's honeymoon when he found out she had been cheating on him.

"Yeah, he needs to keep his attention on the things that matter to him. Being in the role that he is, he needs to know what happens around this zoo," Kowalski sighed. "It's a pity."

Skipper fell to the floor, his eyes wide with shock. They were talking about Julien. It matched him perfectly. He thinks he's a king that needs to know everything! And… Marlene? She gives _him_ looks? That furry fuzz ball that cares about nobody but himself and his feet?!

He let out a low growl as he pictured him and Marlene being together. Why did he feel like that? Maybe what Private said was right. Oh my god, he _was _right! How could he be so blind?

He laid his head back against the wall, the voices of Kowalski and Private blending together so he couldn't pick out what they were saying. It was too late now that he realized his feelings. She already fell for the king next door. After all, that's what you get when you lose. You end up hurting.

He stood up and took in a deep breath. He made his way to the ladder. There was only one way he could solve the problem that he had gotten himself in. And that was to let off steam to the one he now despised.

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_Author's Note:_

_Haha! You're gonna have to wait for the next chapter to know what happens! *dodges thrown objects* Be sure to review and let me know what you think! I mean, you have to have some thoughts to share with me. Who doesn't? :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note:_

_*Cough* you'll have to excuse the spelling and grammar errors… fresh off the press everyone! I tried to catch them my best though. :D_

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Marlene smiled up at the ceiling of her habitat as she woke up from her evening nap. It was nice to get a little snooze time in, especially in a zoo like New York's Central Park Zoo.

With the constant restraining from beating Julien to a black and white pulp as well as listening to his 'boomy-box' at night, a goodnight sleep and quiet time were rare occasions.

She stretched and yawned, having to force herself to get out of her delirious sleepiness. After all, she didn't want to mess up her schedule of the day, as well as to avoid falling asleep in front of the zoo's visitors tomorrow. A true fact was the longer you sleep, the more tired you became. At least, that's what Skipper had told her.

Her stomach clenched at the thoughts of Skipper entering her mind. She pictured him, bold and strong, standing in front of his military refined group. His usual smirk, confident posture and the way his deep sapphire eyes sparkled against the sunlit water…

She shook her head violently to clear her thoughts of the psychotic penguin next door. Well, at least everyone else called the quartet psychotic and sometimes she had to agree with them. But, after all, they were fun to be around… when they're not in operation mode and undercover, of course.

She stood and made her way to the entrance of her home, smiling wider as the sunlight began to stream down her brown and white fur to the tips of her toes. She lifted her arms to the sky as she felt the sun continue to warm her coat.

She scanned the zoo until her gaze fell upon the penguin's habitat. She peered closer to see that they weren't outside. She had expected them to be out practicing karate or some other form of martial arts but the site of the apparently empty penguin habitat proved her wrong.

She was just about to look away but the entrance to their HQ popped open, the fish bowl coming off so fast and with such force that it rocketed into the water with a splash.

Marlene craned her neck to attempt to see which one of the four penguins it was. He was too short to be Kowalski or Rico… and the way the dramatic exit of the underground quarters was performed, it couldn't be Private. There was only one option left, and that was Skipper.

A soft smile appeared on her lips. She had to admit that she did have some feelings for the penguin and she had first realized her feelings the time when they got stuck in the sewer together. The way he stroked her cheek in front of that alligator was simply… intoxicating.

She just loved the feel of his body against hers when she hugged him. If only the gesture wasn't out of fear and it was simply out of affection. She just wanted to hold him tight and never let go. Of course, Skipper would never allow her to do that.

He couldn't have feelings for her. He was a military trained penguin! He probably didn't even know the definition of the word love or romance. Her emotions for him were just simply a crush, a middle school crush that would soon pass.

A wave of sadness swept over her as she watched him begin to pace about the makeshift floe. The thought of Skipper never loving her brought prickling tears to her eyes but she just swatted them away with the back of her paw.

Who knew a penguin could have such a hold on the way she felt from day to day?

As she slowly became more aware of her surroundings and escaped out of her mushy and pitiful thoughts she realized how angry Skipper appeared. She frowned as she continued to watch him, observing his usual scornful scowl but today it wasn't the same. It was an angry look that gave her chills. God she hated that look! What could he be angry about?

She went over the possibilities in her head. Did Julien do something? No, he couldn't have. Otherwise she would have heard shouting from Skipper for she knew that he was long fed up with that spoiled lemur.

Did one of the boys do something? Did they end up on a topic that Skipper didn't like? Perhaps it was about… what was her name? Lola?

Jealousy immediately brewed inside her. She knew that Skipper had once been with another woman but she didn't know the details. Was she a penguin or another species? How long were they together and what had happened between the two that made them separate? How did they meet? Was she once in the zoo herself?

She had so many questions for Skipper but she knew she couldn't ask them all because of the team. They had warned her about Lola and bringing her up to him. Whatever happened between the couple, it sounded harsh. She knew she could take the heat of Skipper as long as it didn't reach his boiling point, but Kowalski, Rico and Private made it sound like they had a war. A war over what, she didn't know and probably never would.

She surveyed him carefully until she became bored and decided to do something… more exciting.

She hopped down to the water and went for a quick swim before hopping up over the railing to make her way over to Julien's habitat. She wanted to pay him a little visit to give her life some zing.

She bounded up onto the lemur king's Bouncy Bounce before hiking up to his throne. "Hey you guys!" she called to them as she came to a stop next to the bar.

Julien looked down to see the Marlene waving up to him. "Ah, Marlene, you are just in time!" His head zipped back up over the edge; beckoning her to come up to the highest level with him.

She climbed up to see him posing for something. "What are you doing?" She looked over to see Maurice with a black beret, a pallet and a paint brush which was sweeping over a canvas.

"Maurice is painting me a royal painting of your king, which is me," he replied with a cocky grin.

She rolled her eyes. "Ah, another royal painting of yourself, huh?" She walked around to peek over Maurice's shoulder.

It was a human shaped Julien with over sized muscles and abs with mountains in the background. Her eyes swept further down to see him riding a magnificent pure white stallion. It was very similar to the one he gave the chameleons over in the reptile habitat as a welcome-to-the-zoo gift, but this time it was for him to keep and, to more than likely, admire.

"It's very… artistic," Marlene commented meekly, knowing Julien wanted her to say something.

"Oh please, say something about me! Not the artisticness of it!" Julien pouted, not wanting the attention to be on Maurice's skill.

"Well, your muscle mass is so very similar to your own that Maurice and Mort would probably mistake the painting for you! I know I would." She grinned, knowing he was enjoying the attention.

She hopped up onto the side of his kingly throne to continue to pacify him. "I mean, look at those biceps!" She squeezed the upper part of his arm that virtually held no muscle whatsoever.

"Yes, I am pretty muscular," he muttered as he flexed for them, but mostly for her.

"Oh, be careful you don't poke someone's eye out!" Marlene laughed as she backed away from him. She had been lying through her teeth, but that's what happens when you want some zing in your life.

She looked back over to see Skipper gone off of the platform. She sighed out of relief. _I wonder how he would react if he actually saw me flirting with Julien? _She shuddered at the thought of her actually trying to get to Julien that way. What a sick mind she had!

***

Skipper gasped at the sight before him. Marlene? Actually flirting with Julien?! She couldn't possibly _like _him! Could she?

He had decided to do some recon on Julien and Marlene and what he came up with was devastating. He watched Marlene closely from his perch in Julien's tree as she felt up his arm. He felt stomach acid rise to his throat, burning him thoroughly along with the hole he had already developed in his sinking heart, which was very much so starting to resemble the Titanic.

He closed his eyes, feeling stinging tears building up. Private and Kowalski were right.

They weren't even right for each other anyway! He was a penguin and she was an otter, which already made Julien the correct choice for her. Sure he had married a bobble head doll but… that was different. He had been desperate and Marlene definitely wasn't the choice for someone desperate.

She was smart, beautiful and quick-witted. How could she be interested in someone like him? He was rough edged, a military commander and just not romantic. He could never love her and she would never have any feelings for him and that was that. There wasn't anything he could do about it.

He flipped out of the tree and landed swiftly on the area between the lemur's habitat and the penguin's. He looked back sadly at the exhibit, picturing Marlene ogling over that prissy self-absorbed lemur king.

He finally realizes that he's head over heels for that otter and he ends up getting heartbroken? It was official: love sucked.

It was like he was going through Lola all over again! He ends up falling for someone and they end up running into someone else's arms. He just had to face the music, he just wasn't meant for love.

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_Author's Note:_

_Ta da! Well, there ya have it. The… fourth… chapter! Poor Skippy, he's going through torture. Mwhahahaha!! Don't forget to give me some reviews! The reviews keep me happy and movin' people! _


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note:_

_O-o-okay! Chapter… is it chapter five? Yeah… chapter five everyone! I know I'm going nuts over these updates but… R&R anyways! Bye bye!_

_

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_

Skipper trudged his way back to the food bowl entrance, thoughts swarming around in his skull like bluegills trying to escape a hungry bass. So it was settled, Marlene and Julien… together. He sighed but straightened up nonetheless, not wanting his boys to see him in such a condition.

He slipped down to the ladder and closed the hatch behind him silently. His ears were immediately filled with greetings from his team.

"Hello, Skipper! Did you have fun during your recon?" Kowalski asked him with a grin on his face.

Oh, he had fun alright. It's _always _fun to realize the one you adore is interested in another. _It's just a bucket of laughs! _"Oh, yeah, definitely. I got a lot of work done."

"Good to hear it, Skipper!" Private chirped.

As Skipper neared the table he could see that they had been playing a card game, and so far Kowalski creaming them.

"Is something the matter, Skipper? You look… glum," Kowalski offered.

Skipper straightened up and put on his trademark smirk along with his confident stature. "Of course, Kowalski, what would make you say such a thing?" But deep inside he was willing himself to stay strong, along with keeping his usual can-do atmosphere.

"Care to join us, then?" Private asked him.

"Of course… as long as _Rico_ isn't hiding any winning cards in his gullet." Skipper shot him a questionable look.

The explosive penguin just shrugged and held up his flippers as if Skipper would make a move to search him.

"Alright, rack me up." Skipper sat down next to Kowalski, knowing the intellectual penguin would never cheat off of him.

As the game continued into the hour Skipper was beginning to find it incredibly hard to concentrate. He had lost about three games already. His only thoughts were about Marlene. Her voice, her laugh, her smile and every other thing he found attractive about her.

He secretly blamed the team. If they hadn't made him open his eyes and realize how he felt around the otter, he wouldn't be in this situation. Everything would just be normal and real peachy keen like.

"So Skipper, did you see Marlene while you were doing recon?" Kowalski asked him.

"Huh? Oh, what's that K'walski?" Skipper asked, shaking his head slightly and blinking rapidly.

"You know, did you see Marlene?"

"Uh, yeah, you can say that…" Skipper trailed off and pretended to examine his cards. Shit. What a _perfect _question to ask him.

While Skipper was looking down and away from his team they all exchanged a look.

"What did she say?" Private asked, perhaps a little too eagerly.

"Private, I wasn't spying on the poor girl!" Skipper exclaimed even though that was a dead lie.

"Well, you saw her didn't you?" Kowalski probed him further.

Skipper could feel his face heating up under his feathers. "Yes, but we didn't talk."

"I thought you just said you weren't spying on her," Private pointed out with Rico nodding along silently, trying his best to be in the conversation.

"I wasn't!" He was trying his best to keep eye contact with everyone, for if he didn't they would know something was up.

"Well, usually when someone is near another they strike up a conversation and make themselves seen. Unless they're undercover of course." Kowalski rolled his eyes like that was the most obvious thing in the world, and it was.

Skipper sighed. "I… I can't lie to you men. I'm terrible at it!" He looked down at his cards and set them on the table, signifying that the game was over.

"Oh, Skipper, you really didn't have a chance!" Private exclaimed as he looked down at his leader's cards.

Skipper shot Private a death glare, telling him if he wanted to sleep inside the HQ, he had better keep his beak shut.

Private gulped. "Sorry, Skipper."

"What do you mean by that?" Kowalski asked his leader with a cocked brow, ignoring Private's little outburst. He leaned closer to him as well as the other two, anxiously waiting for Skipper to tell his story.

"I ended up going to Julien's habitat to do some recon…" he trailed off, thinking about whether or not he should tell them he overheard their conversation.

"And…?" Rico wheezed impatiently.

Skipper looked up at the sound of his husky tone. "And I saw Marlene over there… doing some… things."

"What kind of things, exactly?" Kowalski asked him.

"You know… touching him." Skipper flinched under his men's stares. He sighed, knowing he was going to have to say it. "She was _flirting_ with him." He rolled his eyes at the rupture of gasps around him. "Please, gentlemen, we're not preppy girl teenagers in middle school!"

"But that can't be right! She likes you!" Private shouted. He cowered backwards at the intense stares of his blue-eyed teammates, especially Skipper's cold azure stare.

That, surprisingly, inched up Skipper's hope just a fraction of a centimeter… but that wasn't much. "Some how I highly doubt that."

"But you should see the way she looks at you! It's like she just… wants you!" Kowalski laughed at his wording.

"Wait a minute… you three were having a conversation while I was out supposedly doing recon. You clearly said that he was too much of a _king_ to notice and that being in the roll he is he needs to keep an eye on more important things. This does not include romance."

"Whoa, whoa hold on! You heard that?" Kowalski asked, his face turning red under his feathers.

"Yes, I did. And I could have sworn..."

"That we were talking about Julien?" Private asked him quietly.

"Yes. It described him perfectly!"

"That is a great example of why eavesdropping does nothing for you." Kowalski shook his head at Skipper, making his leader hang his head with guilt.

"I know, I know. I was stupid. But this still doesn't explain why Marlene was acting around him like she was."

"Why... care?" Rico managed to choke out into the conversation.

"Why care? Why wouldn't I care?! That lemur is a spoiled worthless…"

"Uh, Skipper, I think he meant why do you care?" Kowalski pointed out.

"Wha… what do you mean?" Skipper looked between the three of them.

"What he meant is why do you care when you don't even like her?" Private asked him with a cocked brow and his flippers crossed over his chest.

Skipper paused for a few seconds, but to him it felt like minutes, maybe even hours. He really did care about Marlene. Heck he was head over heels for that otter! But… how would his men react to that? "I've got a confession to make. I do like Marlene. A lot actually and… my heart is breaking as we speak." He closed his eyes and held his head in his flippers miserably, cursing himself for taking the risk of his men thinking he was weak.

"Aha! I was right! You do love her!" Private cried out for joy. All of the penguins looked over at him in shock, surprised that the comment Skipper made about his heart breaking went right over the young one's head. "Um, I'm sorry… again."

"I'm just so fed up with this. I try to find love and it ends up breaking me right when I come across it." Skipper glanced up at his team.

"Oh, come on Skipper that's not-"

"_**Open your eyes Kowalski! **_Susie and Lola both ended up cheating on me! And now that damn otter ended up falling for the lowest, the shallowest and the most annoying _lemur _on Earth!" Skipper screamed at him without mercy. As he stared his strategy planner in the eye his larynx began burning along with the pain in his chest.

"Who's Susie?" Private asked innocently, breaking the heated pressure that had overcome the penguins.

Skipper sighed as he settled back down in his seat. "That's not the point. The point is that I'm loveless. I'm not able to love and I probably never will be. I bet Marlene would rather hug a cactus than me." He lifted himself up from his seat and made his way to the ladder. He just had to get out of that underground quarters for a while.

The three penguins he was leaving behind just stared after him in shock, still not believing what they saw and heard from their beloved leader.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_*Tear, tear* Don't worry! It'll get out of its heart breaking state soon!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note:_

_Alright, this is the chapter that everyone has been waiting for! R&R! Once again, typos and grammar errors people! Hot off the press writing isn't gonna be perfection! Lol, enjoy!_

_

* * *

_

She looked up at the New York sky with the moonlight reflecting in her green-brown eyes. Even though the smog surrounding the city blocked out the stars she still imagined them there, staring down to the Earth and acting as her guardian angels. She knew they were present; they were just hidden, even in the day.

She narrowed her eyes at the clouds to try to find shapes in them. She always used to play that game with her sisters and her brothers back at her old habitat.

She smiled as she found an American eagle among the haze, then a heart, a grizzly bear standing up on its hind legs and then…

She gasped at what she saw forming before her eyes: a cloud shaped like Skipper. She slowly picked out the eyes, flippers, his beak… everything. She sat up from the ground and rubbed her eyes. She needed to get her head out of the clouds… literally.

She was daydreaming too much about him. Daydreaming by day, and dreaming by night.

Her eyes wandered over to the penguin habitat curiously. Well, a visit wouldn't hurt anything. It's not like she was on a schedule.

She got up on her short otter legs and started toward the edge of her habitat, heaving herself over it with ease. The pavement felt rough underneath her feet as she continued on toward her friends' exhibit.

Her _friends. _She sighed as she replayed the word in her head. Kowalski, Private, Rico and Skipper. They're her friends. And… sometimes she wished… one certain leader would… think of her as more, but… that would be impossible considering he's obviously not interested in her. It's a pity when that happens… when a girl gets a heartbreak.

She opened up the hatch and eased herself through it on the ladder just in time to hear the four talking.

"Oh, no, what are we going to do about this Kowalski?" Private whined desperately. "He needs help! He really thinks that he's never meant for love."

"I know, I know Private… something needs to be done."

She frowned at the wall as she stopped on the ladder. There weren't four penguins, only three. Skipper was missing from the group. She quickened her pace to join the discussion. "Hey guys, what's going on? Who are you talking about?"

"Oh, hello Marlene," Private chirped, but suddenly broke into a gasp. _"Marlene! _How much did you hear?" He glanced at Kowalski and Rico nervously.

She raised an eyebrow at the three as they put their flippers behind their backs anxiously. "Um, just something about how someone wasn't meant for love. Who isn't? If it's Julien you're talking about then-"

"Aha! It's true!" Private shouted suddenly, making her jump.

Kowalski placed a flipper on Private's shoulder to soothe him. "We heard you two are together now."

Marlene flinched at both the dirty look he was shooting at her, and the sick notion of her being with that spoiled lemur. "What? What on Earth makes you say that nonsense?! I would _never_ stoop that low!" She crossed her arms angrily. They actually thought she was with _him?!_

Kowalski's eyes widened. "You… you mean you're not… together?" His voice was turning into an embarrassing squeak with every word he spoke. He glanced over at Rico just as he hacked up an anchor in surprise… or out of being nauseous like he was feeling right about then.

"Yes… why would you actually think I would be…?" she trailed off at the scared looks that crossed the penguins' faces. "What is your problem tonight?"

"Oh, no… Skipper thought that…"

Marlene stiffened at the mention of his name. "Skipper thought what? That I was with him?" Anger immediately flooded her. Why and how would he think that? Did he honestly think she was an idiot?

Kowalski took in a deep breath. "He saw you the other day in his habitat feeling up his arm and just… flirting with him." He leaned back and gagged at the mental image in his mind.

"F-flirting?!" she squealed from the shocker. She was not expecting that. "He saw that?" She rolled her eyes at the looks the penguins gave her. "Okay look, I was not flirting with the royal pain over there. I was just playing around with him! I would never worship that idiot for real! Why would you guys think that? I thought you guys knew me better than that!"

"You were just… showing him false adoration? Nothing more?" Kowalski asked her, narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously. "The way Skipper described what had happened it sounded like you were trying to…" his voice faded away as he remembered Private standing next to him.

"No, I would never do that." Marlene laughed out loud at the ridiculousness. "Wait… why would Skipper even care about it?" She eyed the penguins as they all were stumped into silence, wringing their flippers together with them looking like they were constipated.

"Well, it's hard to explain…"

"Okay, you know what? Forget it, just forget about it," she said, waving her paws at them, knowing all too well she had put them all in an awkward situation. She placed her paws back on her hips. "Where is Skipper?"

"He wasn't out on the floe?" Private asked her.

"No… was he supposed to be?"

"Well, after our little discussion and three and a half games of cards he went on outside."

"Okay, first of all, how was he? Was he stable, angry or just plain on fire?" She tapped her chin thoughtfully, knowing that by the way his emotions were they could determine where he went.

"He was basically depressed and just… slouching over himself. He was trying to hide it but it wasn't working very well. We can tell when something is getting under his skin and boy is it one of those times," Private exclaimed, finally speaking out into the conversation that clearly didn't suit him.

"Uh, oh, that's never good." Marlene bit her lip. "Well, do you suppose we should search for him?"

"Actually… I have a hypothesis. Try to guess what it is," Kowalski muttered. The three strayed in silence for a while, trying to guess what the intellectual was thinking. Suddenly they all gasped.

"Julien!" they all screamed in unison, and even Rico managed to wheeze the word out.

***

Skipper sighed as he looked up at Julien's green and blue Bouncy. He was actually going to confront him over Marlene. He had to admit, he was in deep. Most people are too blind to recognize how deep they had gotten themselves but Skipper wasn't. He could tell exactly what was going on.

He was in love with Marlene, that he knew for sure. But the downer is that Marlene was, apparently, in love with Julien. And now he had to say something to make himself feel better about the situation he was in… either that, or he was just going to make himself feel even worse. It was a fifty-fifty chance he was taking.

He broke into a run and catapulted over the lip of the lemur exhibit, landing swiftly right in front of Julien's throne. "Julien!" he called out. "Where are you?"

"Ah, hello Skipper!" Julien called from the ground.

The military leader spun around to face him, already in his fighting stance, but his shoulders sagged at what he saw.

The three lemurs were in a circle with their legs pretzel style with white candles surrounding them, creating a rather soothing fragrance around them. "Did you come to join us?" Julien asked with a calm grin on his lips.

"Nugatory, Ringtail, I've come to have a little talk with you." Skipper narrowed his eyes at him, his flippers bunched up. _Keep calm, Skippy… keep calm._

"Ooh, I love talks. Especially when they're about me! But not about Mort because he is just annoying and I do not want my ears to be stinking of him." He gestured to the little mouse lemur next to him who had his eyes closed and his thumb and forefingers pinched together, showing he was doing his best to meditate.

"It's not about you. It's about Marlene." He watched Julien's reaction carefully, noticing his ears going up at her name. His eyes narrowed further at this.

"What about that silly-nilly otter?" Julien laughed as he got to his feet, showing he was a tad bit taller than the penguin.

"First of all she is not 'silly-nilly' and second of all… I heard you two are together." He suddenly heard Maurice sneeze in surprise; making most of the candles go out.

"What are you-?" Julien shot Skipper a weird look. Did that penguin have too many sardines or what?

"Don't play dumb with me! And let me tell you something, buddy!" Skipper measured up Julien's height with his own, stretching up as far as he could go so he could see him eye to eye. "You had better treat that otter right because I swear on my left flipper I will come and beat you into the next millennium.

"Do not ignore her, do not take her for granted and do not use her as one of your little servants either! She deserves much better than that. Someone as special, pretty and as nice as her deserves someone to be on _her _beck and call, not the opposite way. Give her everything she wants and make sure it's you that gives it to her because when you're in a relationship, you have to show her you truly care about her."

He continued to lean in on the lemur until Julien was shrinking away from him in fright. Skipper could feel his face getting red under his white feathers as he was running out of breath but he didn't care. "Marlene is very special. She's like a diamond in a pile of fool's gold, a lone star in a pitch black sky and the one that always lightens up my day with her smile and her presence alone." He gasped as his vision began to blacken. He staggered back and leaned over; afraid he was going to pass out. Even a penguin needed air every now and then.

Julien just stared at the penguin in stunned silence, still not believing what he had heard from the black and white flightless bird.

"Skipper!" they heard a voice exclaim from behind them.

Skipper turned around to see Marlene and the three penguins he had left behind at the HQ gawking at them in shock. By the look on their faces, they had heard enough to know what he had said, not to mention knowing what he meant.

"M-Marlene…!" He tripped backwards, placing his flippers behind his back, still breathless from his threat signed to Julien.

Suddenly, Julien broke out into howls laughter. "You thought Marlene and I were together?! Oh you silly bird-brained penguin! And you just made a complete fool of yourself in front of _everyone!" _

As he continued on and on about Skipper acting like a complete dope, Marlene was starting to feel horrible for Skipper.

She gasped as he hung his head in embarrassment, making her realize it was eating him from the inside out. He just… let out his feelings for her, and she had never seen him so vulnerable as long as she had known him.

She ground her teeth together angrily. "Shut up, Julien! _Just stop it!" _she screamed at him as she hopped down to get in his face like Skipper had. "I do not understand how you could be so cruel! Treating poor defenseless animals this way! I happen to think that what Skipper said was very sweet and touching and… it was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. No one has ever said anything like that about me and… I loved it. You know what? I feel whole when I'm with Skipper. I care about him a lot… probably more than I should and… I'm home!"

Skipper could feel his heart begin to flutter in his chest, making him want to sing. He had never felt that way before… not even with Lola or Susie. He never even came close to what he was feeling right then with Marlene.

"I told you, Skipper! I told you, I told you, I told you!" Private shouted for joy, dancing a little jig of delight. "She _looves _you, she _looves _you! I knew…" his voice trailed off into nothingness as he felt every pair of eyes on him. "Uh… I'll do it myself." He raised his flipper timidly to slap himself.

"No, no, it's okay, Private. It's… fine," Skipper stopped him as he reached back to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. He looked over into Marlene's eyes and laughed nervously. "This is… weird."

She smiled. "It's okay. How about we all go back to the HQ and discuss this?" She looked around at all of them except Julien. _"Without _Julien because he's the one that caused this mess."

"What? But I am the king of things! I deserve to hear everything that goes down at this joint!" He frowned as they all began to talk away. "Wait! You flightless birds and you… gopher! I am not done with the talking yet! I am _so _confused!"

Skipper rolled his eyes as they crossed the way to the homey air of the penguin exhibit. "Don't worry; you don't look like a gopher. He just doesn't know his mammals."

She giggled. "Gee, thanks Skipper." She looked down and slipped her paw into his shiny black flipper. Marlene glanced back up to meet his starry gaze, seeing a grin plastered on his beak. She smiled back and leaned her head on his shoulder, feeling her heart take flight in her chest, content that it had finally gotten what it had wanted, even though it was nearly a disaster in the process.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_I have to say I'm not really content with the way this here chapter is written. I __**may**__ just make some changes… but before I make any rash decisions I want to know what my readers think. I also want to give a thanks to the author XxXAlways-a-DreamerXxX for helping me decide on the misunderstanding between Skipper and Marlene as well as the conversations that Skipper overheard. It **really **gave this story a boost to the way it is now and i just wanted to give her credit for it. Thank you so much XxXAlways-a-DreamerXxX!! I also want to thank the people who have reviewed this story and have stuck with it. You people mean so much to me and I'm so glad you're enjoying this story so far! Hugs and kisses to all of you!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note:_

_Final chapter is a-go! _

* * *

"So you actually thought that Julien and I were together?" Marlene asked Skipper as she stared him down with her eyes. She was a still a little astonished that someone like Skipper would encounter such a misunderstanding.

"Um, well… yes." Skipper grinned sheepishly as he blushed underneath his feathers for the millionth time that day.

"I just cannot believe that you actually thought that, Skipper," Kowalski laughed.

"And who are you to talk soldier? You believed it too for a while and thanks to you three _gossiping about me _you made it worse!" Skipper crossed his flippers as he quirked an eyebrow at them from across the table. He sighed silently as they hung their heads, his soft side starting to get to him. "Alright, stop it! Stop it… you knuckleheads. You know that gets to me every time."

"Of course we know that, Skipper. It's the only way we can get our way around here," Private revealed with a grin, but it soon disappeared as Skipper let out a growl of annoyance.

"Ah, come on you old bird! Lighten up! It's a beautiful Friday night that does not deserve grouchiness. We get enough of that on a daily basis." Marlene and Skipper both rolled their eyes in unanimity, much to Rico's, Kowalski's and Private's amusement.

"But I have to say… if it weren't for you three… this never would have occurred which means…" Skipper glanced over at Marlene, his expression soft yet nervous.

"That Skipper and I would both be holding back what we truly have to say to each other," she finished for him with a smile.

"Yep, like a soda bottle holding in all that fizz after a good shaking!" Skipper grinned as he used his regular simile talk. "But in the end… I'm sorry I thought that Marlene. It just looked like you were actually _falling _for him."

Marlene sighed sadly. "I know, I know. And I am so sorry I put you through all of that. The boys said that you were a little depressed for a while there. I hope I didn't make you lose any sleep." She bit her lip nervously, pleading that she hadn't cost him too much trouble.

"Well, actually," Skipper paused at the worried look on Marlene's face, "no, not at all." He gave her a soft smile, completely forgetting that the rest of his team was watching them immensely.

Marlene giggled. "Yeah, poor Julien. Caught up in the middle of everything without having a clue what's going on."

Skipper laughed at the mental image of him pulling on his ears, completely naïve to his surroundings. "Hm, makes me feel all tingly inside." He wrapped his flippers around his torso. "And by that, I mean tingly in the good way."

"Right on, Skipper," Private rooted for him, making the pair jump which clearly showed they had forgotten they were there.

Kowalski cleared his throat, making the four look over at him. "Private, Rico… let's go on outside." He got up along with the other two, but waited for them to go to the ladder before turning back to Skipper. "We'll just leave you two alone." He winked at the couple before turning to follow his teammates out into the night.

Skipper glared at Kowalski's back for a minute before turning to Marlene. "Private shouldn't have been here. It's too much for him to handle."

"It's too much for any of us to handle," Marlene whispered, her voice and her face expressionless. They stared at each other for a good ten seconds before looking away in another direction.

"It's hard for me to… do this." He swallowed thickly, his stomach cramping up at the memories.

"I know," Marlene began in a whisper, "the boys told me about her." There was no way Marlene was just going to sit there and not pretend she didn't know.

Skipper whirled around, his eyes snapped back to her. "What are you talking about?"

She scooted closer to him. "I'm talking about Lola, Skipper. They told me about her… well not everything. I don't even know what species she is, much less how you guys met or anything." She watched as Skipper's azure eyes widened to their limit.

He growled angrily at that realization. "They are on maintenance duty for a week. Maybe even two weeks."

"Skipper… who was she?" She locked her gaze with his, trying to get inside his head. "No secrets are allowed, you know." She grinned at him with ease.

Skipper flinched under her brown green eyes. He knew that he couldn't withstand her any longer. "The beginning?"

"Yes, please." She crossed her legs on the bench with her head resting in her palms. She watched him as he sighed and turned around completely to face her.

"You must understand that this was a difficult time for me." He waited for her to nod before continuing on. "The boys and I traveled to Africa with Alex, Melman and Gloria one day. We were originally in Madagascar before and we fixed a plane in order to get home, but we ended up crash landing in Africa instead of New York. And…I met…her."

She blinked as he flinched. She nodded, showing him she understood but also prompting him to go on.

"There are absolutely no penguins in Africa. Zilch. Which means I was… desperate." He choked out. He tried to not talk about Lola but Marlene was managing to weasel it out of him.

"…Okay? What else?" she pushed him. She looked him up and down as he squirmed uncomfortably. She could tell he rarely talked about her but she had to know. She just had to.

He closed his eyes and clenched his jaws together. "She was not an animal."

"Mammal?"

"No."

"Um, a bird?" She sighed as he shook his head.

"Nugatory."

"Then what was she?" She frowned, feeling impatience growing within her.

"She was a bobble head doll," Skipper muttered, looking over to the left of the room. He glanced up at her to see her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

"You were with a bobble head doll?" She tried to keep in her laughter so she wouldn't hurt his feelings… but it was hard! A _bobble head doll?! _

"Marlene…" Skipper whined, a look of agony on his face.

"Okay, I'm sorry, Skipper. I didn't mean to offend you." She gave him a look of sympathy as she placed her paw over his flipper gently.

Skipper glanced down at the warm feel of her paw. "Yeah…"

"So what happened?"

"She ended up cheating on me with a… spider monkey." His face twisted up into anger. "Stupid, relentless, no good hula dancer."

"Hey, hey, it's okay! Everything's fine now. You have a great home, great friends and an amazing team that's always by your side no matter what happens." Her paw skimmed up his arm, making shivers dance up and down Skipper's back. She rested it on his shoulder, feeling his body heat coming off onto her fur. "You are a very lucky penguin." _And I am a very lucky otter. _

"Thanks, Marlene. You always have a way to make me feel better. And I admire you for that." He smiled at her again in a way that he rarely ever used.

"You're always welcome, Skipper." She looked over at her paw and noticed that she had been stroking him and playing with his surprisingly silky feathers. It slapped back down to her side, her eyes wide with fear.

Skipper chuckled at her reaction. "It's fine, really. I don't mind." He eyed her as she smirked at him slyly.

"So, do you have anything else to tell me? Anything at all?" Her smile slowly faded as he nodded at her.

"Sadly, yes. I have another dirty little secret." He looked down shamefully, not noticing her eyes widening. "I used to be with another… her name was Susie."

"It's not another bobble head doll is it?" She smiled but it quickly disappeared as Skipper glared up at her.

"No, she was a penguin, thank you very much." He just told her the saddest story of his life and she's going to joke about it?

"I'm sorry; I had no right to say that."

"No, you didn't," Skipper's gaze suddenly softened, "I wasn't in this zoo my entire life. I used to live in Antarctica. And when I did I was with this female penguin named Susie."

"What happened with her?" Marlene whispered silently, feeling something bad was coming.

"First of all, I have a _very _bad love history, okay?" Skipper's face filled with dread for a millisecond before returning normal. "She ended up doing the same thing Lola did. Except for the spider monkey."

"Oh, Skipper, I'm so-"

"Cut the sappy talk and let me finish," he snapped at her. He observed her as she pursed her lips to let him continue. "One day she had gone out on a swim with her new boyfriend and… there was an attack. A killer whale attack…and it ended up getting the both of them."

Marlene gasped and covered her mouth with her paws, her eyes wide with fear and concern for Skipper. "Oh my God. That must have been tragic!"

"It was at first but I learned to live with it. She was not the best girlfriend in the world, anyway. Her parents though… well both of their parents… didn't take it so well. They blamed me for it instead of themselves." Skipper rolled his eyes. "They were just rash. I couldn't stand them."

"I had no idea you had to go through all of that… that's just horrible, Skipper." She leaned forward and hugged him tightly, her nose buried into the side of his neck. "Are you okay?"

Skipper situated his flippers around her gently. "I'm fine. I've been okay this entire time, haven't I?"

"Mmm… you're right. You have," she murmured, her voice muffled by his body and his feathers.

"Do you have anything to say to me around that department?" Skipper questioned her as he rubbed her back soothingly.

She rested her chin on his shoulder so her voice could be clearer. "No, I've never had a boyfriend my entire life. I've been waiting to find the right guy. My mom would always say that that was the right choice and it turns out that it was." Marlene laughed quietly. "She was the one that suggested it, actually. And I'm thankful that she did. She really saved me a lot of grief and heartache in my life."

"If only I was that smart," Skipper muttered.

"Just face it Skipper, you're not that good with romance and girls." Marlene laughed at the look on his face.

"Is that right, Miss Otter? Well let me tell you something." Skipper leaned forward until the tip of his beak was just inches from her little pink nose. "You are absolutely right. And what happened between the two of us is a perfect example."

"I'm just glad it's all over." She leaned away from him as the silence enveloped the room uncomfortably. She eyed Kowalski's table which contained all of his little experiments that were in progress, their metal gleaming in the light of the HQ. Then, something came to her mind. "How would you like to conduct a little experimentation, Skipper?"

He looked up at her warily. "Oh? And what are we testing exactly?"

"Us. Just follow my lead." She began to lean forward leisurely, not knowing what Skipper's reaction would be.

Skipper watched her with his beak slightly parted, knowing what she was intending. But what was really on his mind was how she would react to kissing a cold hard penguin's beak. He really wasn't much for affection but when it came to Marlene… she really sparked his fancy.

He placed his flipper on the table to steady himself, feeling like he was about to pass out, but when their lips met the sensation evaporated from him.

Marlene wrapped her arms around his shoulders and bent forward to get deeper into him. She shivered as he wrapped his flippers around her waist, pulling on her greedily. "Skipper…" she murmured, liking the sound of his name coming from her.

Suddenly, he gasped as his grip slipped clumsily from the table, falling flat on his back onto the hard concrete floor. He flinched, although it didn't hurt as much it should have thanks to the rough training he had acquired when he was younger.

"Oh, Skipper, are you okay?" Marlene asked from on top of him. She gazed down at him, her eyes a brilliant bright green of excitement.

"Y-yeah, of course… you know me." He grinned up at her, taking in her expression. He was about to say something else but a noise from above interrupted him.

"Hey, Skipper, are you… oh," Kowalski eyed them from the entrance on the far side of the room, his eyes wide with what he was currently taking in. "Private! Shield your eyes and back away!"

"Oh, Kowalski… we were… uh, I slipped and we… never mind." Skipper shook his head as Marlene lifted herself off of his stomach.

"It's okay, I was just leaving." She smiled as she began to walk away, her face hot under her fur. As she passed Kowalski, Rico and Private she could feel their eyes on her back.

She lifted herself into the cold night air, now knowing why the three wanted them to hurry. She wrapped her arms around herself and walked slowly toward the water, dreading her late-night dip. And by the looks of the frozen water vapor coming from her mouth, it wasn't going to be very welcoming.

She looked back to the entrance, a wave of light flooding out of it from the secret room below. Even though it wasn't much of a secret any more. She half hoped that Skipper would come climbing out of it, but she knew him better than that.

She was just about to dive into the pool when a voice from behind her halted her.

"Wait, Marlene!" Skipper called with his flipper in the air like he could touch her even though the distance between the two was great.

She turned around and smiled at him, not believing that he came out to see her one last time. "Hey, Skippy."

"I just wanted to say…good night." He smiled softly and walked forward so they could talk properly.

She clasped her paws together and grinned up at him like a lovesick schoolgirl. "Good night." They inched forward and embraced one last time or at least until tomorrow. "I'm glad this worked out."

Skipper chuckled. "You have no idea."

She beamed at him before plunging into the awaiting water, no longer afraid of being cold.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_This is the end, my friends! A special thanks to everyone who reviewed this story. You are awesome and thanks for sticking to it. You really made writing this worthwhile. I had fun and I hope you had fun reading it! And don't worry, this isn't my last Skilene fic ;) _


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